Prior to the coming of the
Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while
Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and
southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810,
decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the
War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won
its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the
Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist
government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in 1973 by a military
coup led by Augusto Pinochet, who ruled until a freely elected
president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained
consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth,
reduced poverty rates by over half, and have helped secure the
country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile
has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles
befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. Spanish
is the language spoken in Chile.